Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer animated film directed by John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. It is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story, released by Walt Disney Pictures and the third film to be produced by Pixar. Toy Story 2 was in the United States on November 24, 1999,[2] in some parts of Australia on December 2, 1999 and the United Kingdom on 11 February 2000. Toy Story 2 was re-released in a double feature with Toy Story inDisney Digital 3-D on October 2, 2009.
The film returns many of the original characters and voices from Toy Story with the voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney,Wallace Shawn, Annie Potts, John Ratzenberger, Joe Ranft, John Morris, and Laurie Metcalf. They are joined by Jodi Benson, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Estelle Harris, and Wayne Knight, who voice new characters Barbie, Jessie, Stinky Pete, Mrs. Potato Head, and Al, respectively. After Mary Kay Bergman's death, she plays the yodeling and television voice of Jessie, Toy Story 2 was dedicated to her memory.
Woody prepares to go to cowboy camp with Andy, but his arm is ripped, forcing him to stay home where he is put on a junk shelf. Later, Woody saves a toy penguin named Wheezy from a yard sale, but gets stolen by an enthusiastic toy collector who Buzz Lightyear and the other toys recognize as Al McWiggin, the owner of a shop named Al's Toy Barn, having seen him in a TV commercial. Buzz then sets out to rescue Woody, along with the other toys.
In Al's apartment, Woody discovers he is a valuable collectible based on an old, popular TV show called Woody's Roundup, and is set to be sold to a toy museum in Tokyo. The other toys from the franchise — Jessie the yodeling cowgirl, Woody's horse Bullseye, and Stinky Pete the Prospector, are excited about the trip, but Woody intends to return home because he is still Andy's toy. Later, Al accidentally rips off Woody's broken arm and an attempt of Woody to recover his arm is foiled when the TV is turned on. After his arm is repaired, Woody decides to stay when Jessie reveals that she was once the beloved toy of a child named Emily who eventually outgrew and abandoned her, knowing that Andy may do the same to him.
Meanwhile Buzz and the other toys reach the Al's Toy Barn. While searching the store for Woody, Buzz is captured and imprisoned in a box by a newer Buzz Lightyear action figure who believes himself to be a real space ranger (just as Buzz did during Toy Story). The new Buzz then joins the other toys as they make their way to Al's apartment. Buzz escapes and pursues them, accidentally releasing an action figure of his arch enemy Emperor Zurg.
Buzz rejoins the others as soon as they find Woody, but Woody refuses to return to Andy. Buzz reminds him that toys are meant to be played with, convincing Woody to return. Woody offers the Roundup toys the chance to come with him, but Stinky Pete prevents their escape. Before they are taken by Al, Stinky Pete bitterly reveals that he wants to go to Japan because he spent his life in a shelf and was never sold, so as part of his plan, he foiled Woody's attempt to recover his arm in an attempt to prevent him returning home. The two Buzzes and the rest of Andy's toys follow Al to an elevator shaft where they encounter Zurg who fights the new Buzz, but is defeated when Rex knocks him off the elevator. As they reach the ground floor, the new Buzz remains behind to play with Zurg once he discovers that Zurg is his father.
Buzz and the others use a truck to follow Al to the airport where they enter the baggage processing area and find Woody. Stinky Pete tries to stop them, ripping Woody's arm again, but he is defeated by Buzz and the others who blind him with flash photography and stuff him into a little girl's bag. Jessie ends up being loaded onto the airplane to Japan, but Woody, Buzz and Bullseye save her just before the plane lifts off and the toys return home. Andy returns home, thinking that Jessie and Bullseye are new toys, and repairs Woody's arm. The toys also learn from a TV commercial that Al's business has suffered due to his failure to sell the Roundup toys to Japan. As the new toys delight in having a new owner, Woody tells Buzz that he is not worried about Andy outgrowing him, because when he does, they will always have each other for company "for infinity and beyond".